Extensible Markup Language (XML) is specification developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (“WC3”). XML has become increasingly more important in the exchange of data and documents (“XML documents”) on the Web and elsewhere. XML allows designers to create their own data and document formats (“formats”). XML formats are customized tags, enabling the definition, transmission, validation, and interpretation of data between applications and between organizations. Schemas define XML formats. The W3C, OASIS, and other organizations have published specifications for creating schemas (e.g., the W3C's XML DTDs and XML Schema, and OASIS' Relax NG). There is, however, no specification that describes how designers can manage schemas on a large scale and within a standard schema framework.
Therefore, there exists in the industry a need for a system that facilitates the ongoing and consistent creation, management, and use of multiple schemas and versions of schemas over time. Further needs exist for a set of best practices and methodology for developing XML schemas that provide version control, unique schema identifiers, schema management and maintenance over time, and consistent publishing rules for schema discovery and documentation.